Chelpa Ferro: Visual Sound August 20, 2011

Chelpa Ferro is a Brazilian collective comprised of renowned visual artists Barrao, Luiz Zerbini and Sergio Mekler that was formed in 1995. Their work has been shown and performed in Brazil, the United Kingdom and Italy, and their exhibition at The Aldrich will mark their American debut. For 'Chelpa Ferro' (Portuguese slang for money and steel), any object can simultaneously be an instrument and an artwork. Their sound-creating devices use bricolage and digital technology to explore the interdisciplinary possibilities of exchange between the visual, sculptural, and acoustic qualities of objects. At The Aldrich, 'Chelpa' will present installations, including one titled 'Acusma,' in which a series of Brazilian ceramic vases contain loudspeakers that play different voices singing numbers. The sound is similar to that of a chorus of professional singers warming up for a performance and yet is the product of a computer program that selects the numbers randomly.